Canada Invests in Deep Energy Retrofits for Affordable Housing in Hamilton Français

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Natural Resources Canada

Mar 13, 2025, 11:25 ET

HAMILTON, ON, March 13, 2025 /CNW/ - There is a need and an opportunity for Canada to strengthen energy security and affordability for all Canadians. Canada's buildings sector is the third-largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions across the country. By increasing the scale and pace of building retrofits, we can make homes and buildings more energy-efficient and improve reliability in units. 

Today, Chad Collins (MP for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, announced an investment of $10 million through Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan) Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program (GNPP) for CityHousing Hamilton. The funding will help reduce energy consumption by more than 60 percent in affordable housing units.

Through this project, 123 CityHousing Hamilton townhouses will undertake deep energy retrofits, extending the life of the buildings, increasing tenant comfort in all seasons, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is also contributing $14.3 million toward this project, and CityHousing Hamilton is contributing an additional $2.6 million.

The CityHousing Hamilton project is expected to include:

  • improvements to the building envelope using prefabricated exterior wall, roof, window and door assemblies, which will improve efficiency and reduce heat loss;
  • rooftop solar panels;
  • energy-efficient electric heat pumps for central heating and cooling; and
  • electric heat pump hot water tanks.

Together with additional upgrades, these retrofits are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent and energy use by 61 percent in the units. The project's methods will reduce on-site labour time and overall project costs and minimize disruption for residents by allowing them to stay in their homes during the retrofit.

Quotes
"Energy efficiency means cost savings for Canadians. At a time when we are facing challenges with affordability and climate change, energy efficiency projects like the one announced today meet Canadians where they are at and delivers the action they need, at the pace and scale they are demanding. Programs like the Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program help deliver on the commitments announced in Canada's first-ever Canada Green Buildings Strategy, which is a plan to save Canadians money, create jobs and seize the economic opportunities that a clean and sustainable economy presents."

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

"Buildings are at the heart of our communities, and they are also among the largest sources of emissions. That's why the Government of Canada is taking action to retrofit our buildings stock to be more energy-efficient and resilient to the impacts of climate change."

Chad Collins
Member of Parliament, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek

"The Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program is demonstrating that Canadians don't have to choose between investing in affordable housing and investing in energy efficiency. By tackling projects at the neighbourhood scale, these deep energy retrofits are demonstrating the business case of decarbonization while extending the life of affordable housing."

Lisa Hepfner
Member of Parliament, Hamilton Mountain

"In these times of economic uncertainty for Hamilton residents, this project will provide long-term improvements to affordable housing, provide good jobs and demonstrate the business case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from existing buildings in the Canadian market."

The Honourable Filomena Tassi 
Member of Parliament, Hamilton West, Ancaster and Dundas 

"CityHousing Hamilton is the City of Hamilton's largest affordable housing provider and, I believe, a great choice for the federal government's investment. It is exciting to see funding from the federal government, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and CityHousing Hamilton aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainable Economic and Ecological Development remains a top Council priority, and through these types of investments we can ensure our response to climate change is present and that we are decreasing the City's GHG emissions, in conjunction with on-going City-led initiatives. These retrofits can extend the life of buildings, which in turn support generations of folks who call Hamilton home."

Andrea Horwath
Mayor of Hamilton

"We've made strides to deliver energy-efficient, near-net-zero affordable housing with tenant comfort at the centre of what we do, and this funding from Natural Resources Canada, through the Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program, accelerates that process, bringing improved energy efficiency and comfort for those who call our townhouse communities home."

Adam Sweedland
CEO, CityHousing Hamilton

Quick facts

  • A deep energy retrofit is an extensive overhaul of a building's systems that can generate large savings in energy costs, improve comfort and help decarbonize buildings. Deep energy retrofits typically save at least 50 percent in energy consumption, reduce emissions by 80 percent, reduce utility costs and may in some circumstances improve resiliency and adaptation to climate change.
  • With a total of $35.5 million funding over five years, GNPP is piloting the Energiesprong deep energy retrofit model in the Canadian market, which accelerates the pace and scale of retrofits by grouping similar homes and buildings in a neighbourhood into a large project. This creates mass demand for deep energy retrofits that can be repeated across multiple homes.
  • CityHousing Hamilton has a portfolio of 7,142 units of affordable housing in the city, providing homes for more than 13,000 Hamiltonians. CityHousing Hamilton manages close to 50 percent of the purpose-built affordable rental stock in Hamilton.
  • Additional partners to the CityHousing Hamilton project include the Atmospheric Fund, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and NRCan's CanmetENERGY Ottawa.
  • CMHC funding for the CityHousing Hamilton GNPP project is delivered through CMHC's Affordable Housing Fund (Investing in affordable homes in Hamilton | CMHC).

Related information

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

Contacts: Natural Resources Canada, Media Relations, 343-292-6096, [email protected]; Joanna Sivasankaran, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, [email protected]

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